Typewriter desk



Jan. 21, 1941. M ox 2,229,558

TYPEWRITER DESK Filed March 30, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TYPEWRITER DESK Filed March so, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TYPEWRITER DESK Martin Fox, Chicago, 111., assignor to The Song Company, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 30, 1940, Serial No. 326,997

2 Claims.

m effect the operation of the latter by manipulation of the lid.

Center drop typewriter supporting mechanism of this general character commonly employ a pivoted platform operated by levers and con- 15 necting links for moving the platform from one position to the other, and in thevoperative position of the typewriter an important desideratum is to provide for supporting the platform and typewriter firmly so as to overcome vibration 20 during the operation of the typewriter mechanism. The principal object of my invention therefore is to provide a particular construction and arrangement of supporting levers and connecting links that will rigidly support the platform for the typewriter in raised horizontal position to not only overcome vibration but also positively prevent backward tilting movement of the typewriter and platform independently of the operation of the lid.

so My invention also contemplates a. construction and arrangement of the platform supporting mechanism whereby ample knee space is provided in front of the platform in housed position and the operating mechanism concealed for neatness in appearance as well as toprotect the typists clothing when seated at the desk in the use of the same for purposes other than oper ating the typewriter.

These important-considerations in the con- 40 struction of a typewriter desk of this special type are embraced in the particular construction of mechanism for operating the movable typewriter platform, as hereinafter fully describedand more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

5 In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the compartment of a typewriter desk including my improved mechanism for operating the typewriter platform, the latter being in raised posi- 50 tion;

Fig. 2 is a similar View with the platform in housed position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the desk, with a part of the stationary top and a part of the movable g typewriter platform broken away.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the links connecting the lid to the sides of the compartment.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the brackets by which the platform is pivoted within the compartment.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the metal keepers cooperating with the bracket-plates supporting the platform to firmly hold the platform against lateral movement, and

Fig. 7' is a detail view of the bracket for 10 connecting the lever to the lid.

The desk is of the usual construction to include a compartment for housing a typewriter, said compartment consisting of opposite side walls, It, and rear wall I I, connected to front and rear corner posts 12 and I3, with the usual horizontal strips, l4, forming the upper ends of the walls and to which the stationary portion I5 of the top is secured, it being understood that the front and lower end of the compartment are left open for the required leg space, and that the opening in the top, closed by lid I5, is for the purpose of accommodating the typewriter in the raised or operative position thereof.

In carrying out my invention the platform IL by which the typewriter (not shown) is supported in the compartment of the desk-has a depending bracket IB secured at each side there. of and pivoted at its lower end to the adjoining side wall of the compartment, and as this bracket and cooperating parts of the operating mechanism for the typewriter platform are duplicated at opposite sides of the compartment I have considered it necessary only to show and describe those at one side.

The length of the brackets and pivoting of the same to the side walls provide for positioning the platform at the proper height from the floor in operative position of the typewriter supported thereon, and the mechanism hereinafter described provides for swinging the platform rear. wardlyand downwardly to an angle of approximately The bracket-plate is triangular in shape and the wider end thereof attached to the platform whereby, in addition to providing ample 5 knee space in the housed position of the platform, it will conceal the operating levers and links of the operating mechanism for neater appearance and to protect the apparel of the person using the desk. Furthermore, as the platform swings betweenthe front corner posts, and the bracket-plates supporting the same are pivoted to the side walls spaced from the inner edges of the front corner posts, the bracketplate is bent, as more clearly shown in Fig. 5, so that the flanged upper end thereof will be located at the outer edge of the platform.

For controlling the swinging movement of the platform from housed to raised or horizontal 5 position, and vice versa, by manipulation of the lid l6 swingingly connected to the sides of the compartment by links H), a bent lever is pivoted to the side wall of the compartment and connected at one end by bracket or pintle-ear o 21 to the lid and at the other end by an interposed link 22 to the upper outer corner of the bracket-plate 18; it being noted that the bent portion of the lever is between the pivot-point or fulcrum, 23, and its connection to the link o pivoted to the bracket-plate, so that when the platform is in raised to operative position of the typewriter-with the lid open-the disposition of the bent end with respect to the longer end of the lever and fulcrum will coact with the link to form a lock joint that will prevent tilting of the platform. That is to say, when the lid is swung, open it operates the lever and connecting link to swing theplatform from housed toraised horizontal position, and the pivotal connections of the link to the lever and bracket-plate being then out of line with the fulcrum of the lever,

thev pivotal connection between the operating lever and link will be out of line with the fulcrum, or at dead center, so that the joint can be broken only by operating that endof the lever connected to the lidnot by pressure on the rear end of, the platform. This is a very important feature of my invention, as it dispenses with the, use of counterbalancing Weights and is more 35 positive in action.

Instead of pivoting the bracket-plate and operating lever directly to the side wall of the compartment a metal strip or bearing plate 24 is provided, with the bracket-plate pivoted to 4;) one end and the lever pivoted or fulcrumed to the other end, said bearing plate having spaced apart holes through which screws are passed for attaching the plate to the side wall of the compartment, and it will be noted that as the 5 link extending from the bent end of the lever is pivotally connected to the bracket-plate the assembly provides a unitary structure definitely establishin their relation to thereby facilitate the application of the fixture or fixtures. Con- 50 sequently, rivets are employed in making the several pivotal connections, and as a further convenience in the application of this fixture a rivet is employed for the pivotal connection between the long end of the lever and the brack- 5 et or pivot-ear 2|, with the attaching flange of the pivot-ear provided with a slot 25 for one of the attaching screws for temporary attachment in the adjustment of the fixture, as hereinafter explained.

The construction and arrangement of the operating mechanism hereinbefore described rigidly supports the typewriter platform against vertical-movement, and in order to prevent lateral movement-to thereby obviate any vibration of the typewriter machine when in usethe platform is provided with upstanding side pieces 26 at opposite sides thereof against which the links IQ for guiding the swinging movement of the lid bear, said links being pivoted to the 70 side walls immediately below the adjoinin forwardl projecting portion of the stationary top l5, for which purpose they are bent as shown in Fig. 4. The upstanding side pieces are braced by a cross rail 21, and together they form an 75 open compartment at the rear of the platform.

As an additional means for preventing lateral movement of the platform the bracket-plates at opposite sides thereof engage a keeper-plate 28 which is attached to the side of the compartment and is provided with an outwardly projecting flange 29 having a slot 30 with which the bracket-plate engages.

The swinging top is supported in closed position by block 3,! attached to strip Id at the upper end of the side wall in the rear of the front corner post, and in open position by means of a narrow bottom board 32 at the lower end of the compartment at the rear end thereof.

Any suitable means may be employed for connecting the guiding links [9 to the lid, and in the drawings I have shown blocks 33 secured to the outer end of the lid directly in the rear of the usual ornamental strip 34 to which handles ,35 are attached for convenience in manipulating the lid.

In applying the metal fixture, with the platform attached, it is necessary only to position the platform at the properheight, in the upper forward part of the compartment, with the straight edge of the triangular bracket-plate slightly spaced from the corner post, and after securing the metal bearing strip in place the inner end of the lever is then secured to the lid in the open position thereof, any minor adjustment of the operating parts in respect to the lid bein provided forby the slotted pivot-ear 2|. It will be obvious, therefore, that the unitary structure or metal fixture comprising the bracket-plate, operating lever, link, and attaching plate extending directly between the lever and lower end of the bracket-plate, will provide for conveniently and expeditiously assembling the mechanism.

In shifting the platform and typewriter carried thereby from housed to operative position at theupperfront end of the compartment, the front end of the lid is lifted by the handles 35 to swing the rear end downwardly in the are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the movement of thelid being guided by the links [9, and during this movement the lever 20 will swing the platform to horizontal position on the pivots of the bracket-plates to which the platform is attached--the lever and connecting link being then in the locked position and the platform engaged by the, guide links 19 and slotted keeperplate 28. In housing the typewriter and platform the operation of the lid is reversed, and as the lid is lifted the lever will be operated to breakthe joint or dead center position of said lever and link connecting the same to the bracket-plate.

The construction and locationof the mechanism for operating the lid and platform are such as to not only provide the required leg space below the platform in housed and operative positions of the typewriter, but willalso accommodate typewriters of different sizes, including those of the larger size.

I claim:

1. In a typewriter desk havinga compartment for housing the typewriter,- the combinationof a lid'for closing the opening at the'upper end of the compartment, and links pivotally connecting the lid at opposite sides thereof to the compartment, said links having inwardly bent portions adjacent their pivotal connection to the compartment; together with a platform for supporting, the typewriter, said platform having dependingbracket-plates by which it is piv- Qul oted to the sides of the compartment, means includin the lid for swinging the platform from,

housed to raised position, and upstanding side pieces secured to the platform and adapted to be engaged by the aforementioned links to prevent lateral movement of the platform in raised position.

2. In a typewriter desk having a compartment for housing the typewriter, the combination of a lid for closing the opening at the upper end of the compartment, links pivotally connecting the lid at opposite sides thereof to the side walls of the compartment, said links having inwardly bent ends adjacent their pivotal connection to the compartment, a platform for the typewriter having depending bracketsby which it is pivoted to the side walls of the compartment-and upwardly projecting side pieces adapted to engage the aforementioned links to prevent lateral movement of the platform in raised position, means including the lid for swinging the plat form from housed to raised horizontal position, and plates secured to the side walls of the compartment and having outwardly bent ends with slots in which the forward edges of the aforesaid depending brackets on the platform engage for supplementing the side pieces and links in firmly holding the platform in raised horizontal position.

MARTIN FOX. 

